Questor Insurance News

Research reveals surge in high street holiday bookings

More people are booking their holidays through travel agents on the high street in 2016 than in previous years, new research has revealed.

Figures from the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) show that nearly one in five (19%) have booked their holiday in store of over the course of the last 12 months, an increase of 17% on 2015.

The most likely to book in store are affluent households, according to the research, with over a third (35%) having done so.

Young families also favoured the high street, as just under 38% booked a holiday in-store over the last 12 months.

When it comes to age groups, it is surprising to see that the younger generation are more likely to book in-store, with 25-34 year olds topping the list – 29% used a travel agent.

A reason for the trend is that young people tend to operate on a budget and are inexperienced travellers, so they tend to give travel agents a budget and get them to make any arrangements.

According to the research, the use of high street travel agents coincides with a drop in age, with over-65s being the least likely to book a holiday in-store (13%).

“This age group is most likely to book a holiday by phone (38%), suggesting that they particularly like to book holidays from the comfort of their home,” added Victoria Bacon, ABTA’s director of brand and business development.

Interestingly, the research found that people are much more likely to decide to book in-store for holidays of seven night or more, city breaks and when going to new destinations.

One of the reasons for this is that customers often like to seek help and advice from experts for when booking these types of trips, and appreciate a personal touch that comes with booking face-to-face.

Ms Bacon added: “It is clear that many people value the advice, guidance and expertise offered by travel experts in-store. Many people appreciate an expert guiding them through this maze towards the best options for them, not least when a holiday may be an investment of thousands of pounds. “

If you’re thinking of travelling abroad this year, be sure to organise your specialist travel insurance in advance